#Thailand - Soldiers and bomb squads to patrol #Bangkok during #APEC

Authorities are now finalizing security measures and protocols for next week’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
The police chief has indicated around 30,000 police officers backed by soldiers will be deployed around Bangkok on the meeting days.

Explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) police have carried out a major bomb response demonstration at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, the venue for the leaders’ meeting.

A demonstration of searches for suspicious objects at the main venue for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting was carried out. Police canines and remote-controlled explosive ordinance response robots were used in the demonstration.

The robots are able to capture x-ray images of suspicious objects so the operator may determine whether an object is indeed an explosive ordinance.

Upon confirmation of an explosive ordinance, the robot can move the object into a collection vehicle that will then move the object to a safe area for disposal.

Anti-drone vehicles equipped with radar will secure the meeting venue against aerial drones. Radio jammers will activate when a drone threat is detected by radar.

Rapid response units will track down the drone controller and seize the drone in question. The controller will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Royal Thai Police Commissioner Damrongsak Kittipraphat indicated the police have full confidence over more than 80% of security measures for the APEC leaders’ meeting. He explained that confidence will reach 100% upon adjustments and additional drills and this will be accomplished before the meeting day.

The police will deploy almost 30,000 personnel in Bangkok who will be supported by some 2,000 soldiers. In addition to providing security, the police will be facilitating traffic around Bangkok during the APEC leaders’ week.

The police chief said vantage points around the meeting venue will be monitored by security officials, including those in plainclothes. Rigorous security will also be provided at the residences and travel routes that will be used by APEC leaders.

Pol. Gen. Damrongsak said the movements of various groups, including those which may perpetrate violence, are being closely monitored. However, no movements of concern have been detected.

Lessons learned from the unrest in 2019 have also been applied to security measures for next week’s meeting.

The police chief asked that the public avoid areas around the meeting venue if they can, as regular traffic may be impacted next week

Source - Bangkok Jack

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Expats now need THREE MILLION BAHT health insurance

Foreigners applying for non-immigrant (O-A) visas for stays in Thailand of up to one year are now required to have a health insurance policy with minimum coverage of three million baht for in-patient medical fees, instead of the previous 400,000 baht.
Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said yesterday that the new rule is intended to ensure that they will receive proper medical treatment if they fall ill during their long stay in the country.

According to the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs, 3,768 foreigners were granted non-immigrant visas last and this year.

The insurance policies can either be purchased in Thailand or in their home country, but the coverage amount of foreign issued policies must be on a par with the sum stipulated in policies issued in Thailand.

The announcement will likely be met with displeasure and backlash from international travellers hoping to make Thailand their home long-term, or at least for one year.

It is especially difficult for those hoping to retire in Thailand as insurance policy premiums are infamous for skyrocketing once the applicant passes a certain age, increasing exponentially with age under the assumption that older people are more prone to illnesses and accidents.

As Thailand releases plan after plan to lure back tourists, many complain that the complicated entry process, the rising costs, and constant changes to immigration policy, not to the benefit of international travellers, seems to be simultaneously pushing away the same expats with money that the country claims to be encouraging.

Source - BangkokJack

VISA AGENT

Thailand - Non-immigrant OA visa applicants required to have ฿3m health insurance

Foreigners applying for non-immigrant (O-A) visas for stays in Thailand of up to one year are now required to have a health insurance policy with minimum coverage of three million baht for in-patient medical fees, instead of the previous 400,000 baht.

Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said today (Tuesday) that the new rule is intended to ensure that they will receive proper medical treatment if they fall ill during their long stay in the country.

According to the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs, 3,768 foreigners were granted non-immigrant visas last and this year.

The insurance policies can either be purchased in Thailand or in their home country, but the coverage amount of foreign issued policies must be on a par with the sum stipulated in policies issued in Thailand.

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/non-immigrant-visa-applicants-required-to-have-3m-health-insurance/

Source - ASIAN NOW

Our VISA AGENT

 

Thai gov’t already warning of new Lockdowns to come

Thailand may be locked down again if people don’t observe Covid-19 preventive measures once the country reopens, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned on Tuesday.
It would seem that some government ministers are hell-bent on sabotaging any hope the Thai people have of returning to something resembling the prosperous country they had until only 18 months ago.

After all, how many tourists are going to risk Thailand as a holiday destination this season if the government is threatening to shut the entire country down again, at any moment,  on a whim.

To add to the mixed messaging the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced in a televised address on Monday that he has instructed the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and the Public Health Ministry to only ‘look into’ opening the country on November 1.

Initially, tourists from 10 low-risk countries will be allowed to travel to Thailand without having to quarantine provided they are fully jabbed and test negative.

The list will be expanded to cover more countries in the first week of December and then again in January 2022.

This morning, Anutin said that the detail of the 10 countries was under discussion and will be proposed to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on this Thursday.

Asked about a tendency to close the country again, the heath minister said it depends on Thai people. If they don’t follow the preventive measures strictly, Thailand tends to be shut again.

Meaning, if people don’t do exactly what we tell them too them we will lock them all up at home again.

In addition, Anutin added that risk places like entertainment venues will be monitored seriously, in a bid to prevent the new outbreaks of the sniffles.

Source - BangkokJack

Our VISA AGENT

Confusion reigns as Thai PM announces end of quarantine and alcohol restart "spoiler"

It was supposed to be Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's chance to announce the end of quarantine and the opening of the country's nightlife and serving of alcohol.

Instead it has just created more confusion if the online reaction is anything to go by.

Posters on ASEAN NOW seemed more confused than ever and criticized the lack of clarity as par for the course of a government that has chopped and changed at every turn throughout the pandemic but especially over the last six months.

Many felt the proposed relaxation had not gone far enough and that nothing should have been announced before the decisions were set in stone.

Many posters said this kind of "might" and "mull" philosophy was hopeless for foreign tourists who have to plan for a visit well in advance.

Prayuth's Monday televised address was also just a precursor - a spoiler if you like - for the actual decision that will be made by the CCSA on Thursday.

Will they tweak the proposals or reverse them? Tourists both foreign and domestic, expats, and operators in the industry are all desperate to know the score.

Desperate for an ounce of clarity.

As it stands Thai Rath reported what has been announced internationally.

That tourists from ten countries including Singapore, Germany, the US and the UK will not need to quarantine but will need to have been double vaxxed and have tests before and after arriving.

But what other documents they will need and what other countries are on the list remained unclear.

China was also on Prayuth's lips - but there has been no announcement from the Asian giant that they are allowing their citizens to travel. So that is effectively a moot point.

When it comes to alcohol the situation is still utterly unclear.

About as cloudy as a Pernod and water.

The Thai media interpreted the PM's announcement that alcohol would be allowed in restaurants from December 1st.

But that pubs, bars and nightclubs would only be allowed to reopen.

It wasn't stated that the blanket alcohol ban would be lifted for all establishments.

Prayuth has stated that the tourism industry cannot stand another decimated high season. He has avowed that the risks of reopening outweigh the continuing calamity caused to the economy by the pandemic, especially its tourism sector.

But his comments about the possibility of reversing these "decisions" remains if cases spike, as they are expected to even by the PM's own admission.

Others like the Rural Doctors group have stated in the last 24 hours that Thailand's infection rate is not dropping as official stats state.

Yet another example of "you pay your money and take your choice" when it comes to believing police and stats coming out of Thailand.

Thursday's Center for Covid Situation Administration meeting may provide a little more clarity.

Source - ASIAN NOW

Our VISA AGENT

BREAKING: Bali airport to start welcoming foreign travelers on Oct. 14

Indonesia has set a specific date for the reopening of Bali to international travelers, as one of the country’s top officials announced this afternoon that the province’s airport will start welcoming foreign visitors on Oct. 14.

The long-awaited announcement came from Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who stressed that foreign visitors must quarantine for a minimum of 8 days upon arrival, and are expected to show proof of hotel booking for this purpose, among other requirements.

“There are several countries we will be open to: South Korea, China, Japan, [United Arab Emirates], and also New Zealand,” Luhut said during a virtual press conference.

Further details have yet to be announced at this point, but as have been the case with previous major announcements regarding COVID-19 restrictions in Indonesia, they should be expected from other officials in the next few days.

During the press conference, Luhut also reminded Indonesians to refrain from “excessive euphoria” amid the loosening of restrictions, as the country’s COVID-19 numbers continue to decline.

Source - Coconuts

Our - VISA AGENT
 

Senior minister wants to see E-cigarettes legalized in Thailand

 

E-cigarettes could become legal in Thailand if a senior cabinet minster gets his way.
 
Digital Economy and Society minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn said Thais need to move with the times and modern technology 

He said that 67 countries around the world had accepted electronic cigarettes.

Some of them are big ones like the US and China.

Even Malaysia allows them, reported Thai Rath.

The minister said that the devices have far fewer harmful effects than regular cigarettes and can be a useful tool in getting people off them.

He pointed out that campaigns in Thailand to get people to quit were having a limited effect - 10 million still lit up.

E-cigarettes could help people who can't quit because they are less harmful.

He plans to look at aspects of the law to see why Thailand forbids them.

ASEAN NOW notes that the sale of E-cigarettes is quite open in Thailand even though they are illegal. 

However, from time to time there are crackdowns on vendors and jail terms await those who sell them

Importers could be jailed for up to 5 years.

Though it is unlikely individual users would be arrested many people have pointed to Thailand lagging behind the rest of the world on the matter.

Countries like the UK have embraced the devices with vaping shops in many high streets now a common aspect of daily life. 

Source - ASIAN NOW

Our VISA AGENT

#Malaysia closed to tourists for the rest of the year

 KUALA LUMPUR, 1 September 2020: Malaysia looks ahead giving travelers warning that the country’s Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) that maintains strict travel restrictions will remain in place until 31 December 2020.

As long as the RMCO is in place foreigners who have a ‘social visit pass’ (tourist visa) that expired after 1 January 2020 will be permitted to leave Malaysia without incurring any fines or penalties. The concession does not apply to social visit passes that expired before 1 January 2020.

Neighboring Thailand gave foreigners a much shorter grace period that ends on 26 September. Foreigners will need to apply for a visa extension or leave Thailand to avoid penalties by the deadline.

Travel to Malaysia will continue to have strict controls with foreigners needing to obtain a Letter of Undertaking and Indemnity’ approved by the nearest Malaysian consulate or embassy in addition to an appropriate visa. However, leisure travelers will not be permitted to visit Malaysia as long as the RMCO is in place. Entry is limited to travelers who have families in Malaysia and for essential travel linked to business and investment activities.

All travelers who are permitted to enter Malaysia must undertake mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Thailand follows similar protocols, strictly applying the 14-quarantine rule but offering travellers arriving in Bangkok what it calls “alternative state quarantine” in certified hotels that are linked to hospitals. They charge around THB70,000 to 50,000 for the 14-day stay, including three meals a day and Covid-19 tests.

Thailand is currently confusing overseas tour operators with contradictory statements by leaders who in the space of a few days suggest they are opening the borders gradually to limited travel and then contradict themselves just days later by suggesting the opposite.

There are various programmes bandied about by the media, but due to the 14-day quarantine rule, they would appeal only to long-stay visitors (six months or more) repeat travelers who are prepared to buy into expensive schemes to return to Thailand.

Soorce  - TTR Weekly

#Thailand looking more like a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY

Some 1,000 locals in Chonburi province were queuing up from as early as 1am on Thursday (May 28) at Soi Thappaya 5 in Banglamung district to receive handouts of food and consumer products provided by the Norwegian Seamen’s Church Pattaya.

The church distributes 2,000 packs of the handouts at 9am every Thursday to people who have been affected by the Covid-19 situation in Pattaya, the famous tourist city that has been shut down to avoid the outbreak.

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At around 3am, police officers from Muang Pattaya Station came to disperse the crowd as 11pm to 4am are curfew hours imposed by the government.

However, a news source said that the crowd dispersed only temporarily and queued up again once the police had gone.

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 One of the villagers, whose house is located near the church, expressed concern that the gathering of the crowd could increase the risk of Covid-19 spreading as social distancing measures are not maintained in the queue, which is almost half a kilometre long.

“Furthermore, their loud chattering is really annoying and kept us up until dawn,” they added. 

– The Nation

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Source - Bangkok Jack

Southeast Asia feels the burn as virus keeps Chinese tourists at home

Elephant parks unvisited, curios at markets unsold as tuk-tuks sit idle: Southeast Asia is facing billions of dollars in losses from a collapse in Chinese tourism since the outbreak of a deadly new coronavirus.

From Luang Prabang in northern Laos to Pattaya in Thailand, Hoi An in Vietnam and the Cambodian casino town of Sihanoukville, takings have plummeted as Chinese travelers find themselves subject to a host of restrictions at home and abroad.

"We haven't had any Chinese for 10 days since they closed the road from Yunnan," says Ong Tau, 47, from behind her stall of fruit shakes in the temple-studded Laotian colonial town of Luang Prabang.

"Business is down 20-30 percent... it will get worse."

Tour guides, mall workers and restaurant staff are all feeling the burn as Chinese -- the world's biggest travellers -- stay at home in the middle of a global health crisis.

"My friend has lost four or five big tour groups... they would have paid for his low season," said Tee, a guide in Luang Prabang, giving only one name in the tightly-controlled communist country, a mass of tuk-tuks standing idle behind him.

But in one of Southeast Asia's least well-resourced countries, there may be one bright side to the sudden economic pain.

"We don't know how to protect ourselves," he added. "The government doesn't tell people anything... so maybe less Chinese is a good thing for now."

Loans and job losses

The slump is being felt sharply in Thailand, where tourism authorities say arrivals from China -- usually close to one million a month -- have plunged by 90 percent so far this February.

At the Chang Siam Elephant Park in Pattaya, a few hours south of Bangkok, owner Nantakorn Phatnamrob fears he will soon be pressed into debt to float a business which has lost nearly $65,000 since the outbreak.

"People are afraid to visit," he told AFP. "If it stays like this, I will have to get a loan from the bank."

Crocodile farms and tiger sanctuaries -- controversial tourist beacons where visitors can pet the animals -- are also deserted, leaving owners to feed expensive star attractions.

The outbreak has also spooked western tourists at the height of peak season in what has already been a tough period for Thai tourism thanks to a strong baht.

Thailand anticipates shedding five million tourists this year, taking with them "250 billion baht (over $8 billion) in revenue", according to Don Nakornthab, director of economic policy at Bank of Thailand.

"Our hopes that the economy will do better than last year are very low... it's possible it could grow below 2 percent," he added.

That will spell bad news for the untold number of Thais working in the tourism sector.

Ma Mya, 22, who sells trinkets in Pattaya, says she may soon have to return to her home in northern Thailand.

"There's no more profit -- everything has gone bad."

Things can only get better

With so much riding on the seasonal influx, some Mekong countries are desperate not to deter those Chinese still traveling.

Thailand offers visa on arrival for Chinese tourists despite having one of the highest numbers of confirmed infections -- 34 -- outside of the mainland.

At least two of those cases were Thais who contracted the virus after driving infected Chinese passengers, raising fears that the economy was taking priority over tackling the health crisis.

For staunch Beijing ally Cambodia, where only one case of the virus has been confirmed so far despite a large Chinese presence, strongman leader Hun Sen has repeatedly played down the risk to his country.

Still, Cambodian tourism is taking a hammering.

Ticket sales at the famed Angkor temple complex in Siem Reap have fallen between 30 and 40 percent this year, while in Sihanoukville, a southern beach resort notorious for its casinos, the tourist take has shriveled.

"I used to make $100 a day," said Chantha Reak, a ride-hailing driver. "Now it's $10."

Businesses are praying for a bounce back if and when the virus is controlled.

With 10 million Chinese visitors each year, Thailand hopes the pain will ease in a few months.

Regular visitor Yen Ran, 25, from Chengdu, came to Pattaya despite the health warnings.

"I am a little concerned how other countries perceive us," she told AFP. "But when there's a cure, things will get better."

Source - TheJakartaPost

5 Secret Destinations to Visit in #Myanmar (Burma) in 2020

A land with a troubled past, Myanmar has only recently begun to open up to international tourism — and for many travellers, it still passes well below the radar.

 Yet, with its great expanses of unexplored jungle, extensive shoreline, diverse culture, atmospheric incense-filled temples and countless minority groups inhabiting even the most far-flung corners, Myanmar is a sleeping giant. This is a place for those who want to leave the usual tourist trail far behind and tread where few others set foot. Don’t expect travel there to ever be easy, but for the most adventurous and determined explorers, here are 5 secret destinations to visit during your trip to Myanmar in 2020.

1. Keng Tung (Kyaingtong)

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Tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Shan State where Myanmar meets Thailand, Laos and China, Keng Tung, remote, inaccessible and, until recently, off-limits to tourists, is a place to visit before word spreads. The only practical way of reaching it from the rest of the country is to fly in— although it’s also possible to arrive by road from the Thai border crossing at Mae Sai. The town itself has several attractions of interest, including a large standing Buddha, a distinctive monastery and some hot springs, but the main thing to do here is to enjoy the ample opportunities for trekking out to the minority villages in the surrounding area. As one of the most important towns of the Shan people, it’s also a great place to sample Shan food, reputedly the best in all of Myanmar.

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Chin State, bordering India and Bangladesh in the west of Myanmar, is the epitome of ‘off the beaten track’. It is one of the country’s poorest, least developed and most sparsely populated areas and has very little in the way of infrastructure. However, for intrepid explorers who make their way there the potential rewards are great. This is an area with a patchwork of tribes speaking myriad languages and with lush forests and remote mountains to discover. Trekking into minority villages around the town of Mindat is possible, and the region’s best-known peak, Mount Victoria, offers sublime views of the surrounding countryside— sometimes even as far as India on a clear day. Nearby Kanpetlet, a laidback town with decent accommodation, is a good place to base yourself before tackling the mountain.

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In the north-west of Myanmar, bordering the tiny Indian state of Nagaland, lies the Naga Self-administered Zone, home to various tribes sharing broadly similar culture and traditions that make up the loosely-defined Naga people.

This is another of Myanmar’s poorest and most inaccessible areas, and the tribal groups there maintain their age-old customs through their lively festivals, their distinctive dress and their traditional way of life, remaining largely untouched by the outside world.

 Some of these tribes may have been active head-hunters as recently ago as 1969, but nowadays they are more welcoming and friendly, and a trip to their little-known homelands will be one of the most unforgettable experiences of any trip to Myanmar.

4. Dawei
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This port town on Myanmar’s south-western Andaman coast, in Tanintharyi Region, is for those who have grown tired of the overcrowded, overpriced beaches and resorts of neighbouring Thailand and who are searching for something fresh. The town of Dawei itself can be reached by land since the road is now open to international visitors — or if you want to save some time, you can fly in from Yangon. Once there, you will have access to a good range of accommodation, pristine stretches of sand, simple beach restaurants, a handful of pagodas to visit and a secret place of your own to chill, safe from tourist hordes across the border just a little further south.

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5. Mergui Archipelago

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If you’ve ever studied a map of Myanmar, you may have noticed the fractured coastline of the deep south and wondered what undiscovered island paradises lie hidden there. However, the breathtaking beauty of the unspoiled beaches and transparent, turquoise seas of the Mergui Archipelago is likely to be far beyond anything you ever imagined. Try picturing the most perfect Thai islands before the arrival of mass tourism — or any kind of tourism at all — and you might be somewhere close. These islands have only been open to foreign visitors since 1997, and this is a destination you need to see before it hits the mainstream.

Although it is gradually opening up, Myanmar is still largely terra incognita to most international travellers, and even the most popular destinations like Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake receive relatively few tourists. However, if you want the chance to discover some of Southeast Asia’s last truly secret destinations, this is a country that should be on your holiday list.

Source - MM Times

#China - Beijing to close section of Great Wall, other tourist sites

China announced Friday it will close a section of the Great Wall and other famous Beijing landmarks to control the spread of a deadly virus that has infected hundreds of people across the country.

A range of Lunar New Year festivities have been cancelled to try to contain the virus, and Beijing's Forbidden City and Shanghai's Disneyland have also been closed temporarily.

The Ming Tombs and Yinshan Pagoda will also be closed from Saturday, the authority that oversees the sites said, while the Bird's Nest stadium -- the site of the 2008 Olympic Games -- was shuttered from Friday.

The Great Wall attracts around 10 million tourists a year and is a popular destination for visitors during the New Year holiday.

The Juyongguan section will close, while the Great Wall temple fair was cancelled at the Simatai section of the famous landmark.

Tourists at the Gubei water town by the Simatai section will have their temperature tested, the authority said in a statement on the WeChat social media app.

The Bird's Nest will be closed until January 30 in order to "prevent and control" the spread of the virus, authorities said. An ice and snow show taking place on the pitch will be closed.

The measures in the capital are the latest to try and control the outbreak of the new coronavirus, after authorities rapidly expanded a mammoth quarantine effort that affected 41 million people in central Hubei province.

The previously unknown virus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed hundreds across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.

Although there have only been 29 confirmed cases in Beijing, city authorities have cancelled large-scaled Lunar New Year events this week.

The city government said it would call off events including two popular temple fairs, which have attracted massive crowds of tourists in past years.

Beijing's Forbidden City -- which saw 19 million visitors last year -- is usually packed with tourists during the Lunar New Year festival, when hundreds of millions of people travel across China.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Thailand - Changes in domestic passenger screening at Suvarnabhumi Airport

In order to reduce congestion on the fourth floor, Suvarnabhumi Airport is moving its screening service for domestic passengers to concourse screening.

 

Wing Commander Suthirawat Suwanawat, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Airports of Thailand, said the change will come into effect from 5am on November 19.

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The airport will move the screening points to the other sides such as Concourse A and B, on the second and third floors.

The move is expected to fix the inconsistency in the use of the mixed areas of searched outbound passengers with inbound arrivals who are yet to be searched. The change is expected to ensure that passengers flying out of Suvarnabhumi Airport get 100 per cent screening, which is in accordance with the requirements specified in the National Civil Aviation Security Plan

For more information, please contact AOT Contact Centre at 1722 24 hours.

 

Source - The Nation

#Cambodia Huge eco-resort under way in Kampong Speu province

If you are an eco-tourism enthusiast, here is another good news for you.

A leading property developer in the Kingdom, Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, has announced that it is working on another massive eco-tourism project, this time in Kampong Speu province.

The new project, which is called KC Adventure/Agricultural Resort Basedth, will sit on more than 100 hectares of land in Kampong Speu’s Basedth district, Dr Alexander Evengroen, CEO of Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, said in an interview yesterday.

Just like with their eco-tourism project in Kampot province, Mr Evengroen said their Kampong Speu venture will benefit the Cambodian people and the Kingdom’s tourism industry. Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd is separately working on a multi-million-dollar adventure Resort in Kampot’s Chhouk district.

“We want to give back to the people while growing Cambodia’s tourism industry,” he said.

According to him, their latest venture will feature a Cambodian history museum, fruit farms, cattle farms, special islands, restaurants, solar park, guesthouses, hotel, hobbit homes, cable carts, flower gardens, nature hiking trails, watersports facilities, coffee shop, sky tower, fish ponds, car park, clubhouse, resort, pavilion and cottages, among others.

“What is unique about this place is that visitors will also learn about the beauty of Cambodian history while enjoying the scenery,” he pointed out.

Mr Evengroen said Basedth district is an excellent choice for such project. According to many tourism experts, Kampong Speu, with its mountains, forests, and national parks, is among several provinces in Cambodia that hold vast potential for eco-tourism development.

“The location is green and fresh, with stunning views and mountains within and in the background. It is also easy to reach and ready for development,” he stressed.

“We are developing more than 100 hectares and might expand in the future,” he added.

Source - Khmer Times

EABC RECOMMENDS REMOVING TM.30 COMPLETELY

More industry and NGO groups are lining up with criticism or calls for abolishment of the embattled TM30 and TM28 immigration forms. Most of the criticisms focus on the draconian nature of the forms, confusion around interpretation and the problems with inconsistent implementation.

Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand to be a place to invest in and conduct business.

Now, the European Association of Business and Commerce is recommending to the Thai government to completely do away with the TM30.

“And, as an immediate step towards achieving that, remove from its scope many categories of foreigners.”

They say the same applies to the related TM28 form as well.
 
“The TM30 process has been in the news due to its inconvenience, questions about its value and usefulness, the questions it raises about commitment to ‘ease of doing business’ and the recent, almost inexplicable crackdown via an old law much of which has been dormant for decades.”

“The TM30 form and process in effect requires landlords to report on the location and movement of foreigners who are their tenants. Hotels have the same obligation but for foreign tourists staying in hotels, it is not noticed by those tourists as the hotel uses the TM6 arrival card information from their foreign guests.”

“Section 38 of the Immigration Act (which is the basis of TM30) has been around since 1979, but was not enforced until since late March 2019. It is being enforced inconsistently with various local interpretations. TM.28 (supported by s. 37 of the Immigration Act) is an often overlapping obligation on foreigners to report.”

The submission has been made to Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool, Deputy Secretary‐General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs.

Source - EABC and The Thaiger

#Vietnam - CNN names Hoi An among Asia’s most beautiful towns

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U.S. cable news channel CNN has listed the 400-year-old Hoi An Town in central Vietnam among “the most picturesque” in Asia.

The UNESCO heritage site in Quang Nam Province ranks fourth in the list of 13 most beautiful towns in Asia, behind another UNESCO site, George Town in Malaysia, the beautiful river town of Zhouzhuang in China and Japan’s Yufuin.

Hoi An, which used to be the busiest trading port in Southeast Asia in the 16th century and was famous for ceramics and high-quality silk, is now "a heaven for photographers, foodies and architecture lovers", CNN said.

"Thanks to centuries as an important trade hub, the narrow streets of Hoi An ancient town feature rows and rows of charming mustard-hued merchant houses though many have since been transformed into low-key restaurants, bars, design boutiques and tailors' shops."

For many, Hoi An is not just a collection of 16th century houses for which the former port town has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. A cuisine particular to the town, influenced by many different cultures including Japan, China and Portugal, is a major part of its attraction too.

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Don’t miss the array of delicious food experiences, from banh mi, a Vietnamese single-serving baguette filled with various savory ingredients, at the famous Banh Mi Phuong Restaurant (2B Phan Chau Trinh) that has been praised by bloggers and foreign media for several years now. Anthony Bourdain referred to the banh mi here as "the world's best", CNN said.

"Foodies can also enjoy local staples like herb-covered rice rolls, white rose dumplings and fresh seafood at Ms Ly’s café."

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 Famous towns in Southeast Asia appearing on the CNN list also include Vigan in the Philippines, Luang Prabang in Laos, Kampot in Cambodia, Kota Gede in Indonesia, and Phuket Old Town in Thailand.

Hoi An has been earning one laurel after another this year including topping this year’s tourism hotspot listing by New York-based magazine Travel + Leisure.

On July 16 Google Doodle featured an image of Hoi An with symbols of Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge) and colorful lanterns, the first Vietnamese destination to be honored thus.

The number of foreign visitors to Hoi An skyrocketed by 90 percent last year to 3.7 million.

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Source - VN Express

 

Lonely Planet names #Vietnam’s north-south rail journey among world’s best

Vietnam’s north-south railway is listed by the British travel guide, Lonely Planet, as one of 10 world’s ‘most amazing’ train journeys for 2019.

The Reunification Express, known as the Thong Nhat Railway, traverses more than 1,726 kilometers (1,072 miles) between Hanoi and Saigon, the country’s two biggest cities, in two days.

"There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises. And there’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between," Lonely Planet said.

The journey allows passengers to sit and enjoy romantic scenery and rural landscapes along coastal towns in the central region including the former imperial capital of Hue, the Da Nang City Port which was initially built in the French colonial time and the ancient town of Hoi An.

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The other train journeys Lonely Planet lists are the California Zephyr in the U.S., Baikal–Amur Mainline in Russia, China’s Beijing to Lhasa Express, and the TranzAlpine in New Zealand.

The north-south rail has been deteriorating after decades of use since being built by the French in the 1930s. Rail transport is rapidly losing popularity given the rise of cheap air travel.

Vietnam’s aviation industry has been growing at the third fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The railways carried 9.4 million passengers last year, down 3.5 percent from 2017, according to government data.

Some companies have been trying to revive the romance of train travel, offering first-class trips with attached restaurant cars like the five-star services launched in 2017 from Saigon to the coastal resort town of Nha Trang and from Hanoi to the northern highlands town of Sa Pa.

Russian news agency Sputnik recently included the north-south rail among world’s 10 most beautiful.

Last year travel publisher Rough Guides named it as one of the most scenic in Asia, where one can watch buffalos grazing in rice paddies, fishermen casting their nets in the sea, deserted white beaches, and lush rainforests.

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Source - VN Express

#Thailand named in top 10 places in the world to retire

Thailand has again been named in the top 10 retirement destinations in the world and No 2 in Asia.

The list is part of an annual report published this month by International Living magazine and names Panama as top retiree destination. Malaysia comes in fifth but Thailand sneaks into the top 10 at No 9, pushing evergreen retirement favourite Spain into 10th place.

Nestled between Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, Thailand enjoys the warm-water coastlines of both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The Kingdom has never been colonised by foreign powers, so Thai culture is untouched, rich and ancient. What’s more, it’s ideal for expat living, reckons the International Living report.

The list considers factors such as culture, weather and living conditions. There are lots of options in the countries named in the top 10 for living in coastal as well as mountain areas. 

Reasonable rents and the choice of living both the high life and a more modest existence were other main factors.

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For Thailand, the report lists the many choices for retirees on both the Gulf and Andaman coasts, ease of travel to bordering nations as well as the interesting culture.

Tourism Authority of Thailand chief Yutthasak Supphasorn says it is a deserved award pointing to all the reasons Thailand is wonderful for those in retirement.

“It is great news. Really there are many provinces where retirees decide to settle in Thailand”.

He pointed to Chiang Mai, Nakhon Panom and Nong Khai in particular, where the attraction of wonderful nature, quiet surroundings and the possibility of economical living all make for fantastic retirement opportunities.

Source - TheNation 

Top 10 Retire Destinations

1/ Panama

2/ Costa Rica

3/ Mexico

4/ Ecuador

5/ Malaysia

6/ Columbia

7/ Portugal

8/ Peru

9/ Thailand

10 / Spain

Click to enlarge

#Thailand - Can Thaksin make a political comeback?

“ELECTIONS are finally here – on March 24” was the front page headline on Thursday of The Nation, an English-language newspaper in Thailand.

Finally, almost five years after ousting the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shina-watra with the barrel of a gun, the military junta has called for an election.

The March 24 elections will end the military rule that began in 2014. Army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha led a bloodless coup that toppled the government then led by the Pheu Thai party. The coup leader took over as prime minister.

What happened to Shinawatra then was history repeating itself.

In 2006, the military launched a coup against her brother, then Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra, when he was in New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

I remember that coup. At that time, I was The Star’s Thailand correspondent based in Bangkok and also the Asia News Network (ANN) editor.

That night, I was home in Bangna near Bangkok when I received a phone call saying there was an ongoing coup. I rushed to the nearby The Nation office where I worked.

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 Thasong Asvasena, a journalist from The Nation, told me not to worry as friendly soldiers had arrived to secure the newspaper’s premises. I looked out the window and saw armed soldiers surrounding the building. 

 It was called the Happy Coup as many Bangkokians hated Thaksin. They were delighted to see the end of his reign.

But that was not the end of Thaksin’s political grip on Thailand. The billionaire is like the Terminator. He’ll be back – through political parties linked to him.

Although he was in self-imposed exile, his party, the People Power Party (PPP, a reincarnation of his Thai Rak Thai party which had been banned by the military junta) won the election in 2007.

A year later PPP lost power in a “judicial coup” in which Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who is married to Thaksin and Yingluck’s sister, was forced from office by a Constitutional Court ruling. The court disbanded PPP for electoral fraud and barred its leaders from participating in politics for five years.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, from the Democrat party, formed a coalition and became Prime Minister.

In 2011, an election was called. Pheu Thai (the reincarnation of the banned PPP) won in a landslide victory and Yingluck became Thailand’s first female prime minister.

In 2014, the military seized power. It was the country’s 12th coup d’etat since the first in 1932.
Now, in 56 days, Thais will go to the polls. The big question is, can the self-exiled Thaksin, whose party has never lost an election, make a political comeback through his Pheu Thai alliance?

On Friday in Bangkok, I met Sean Boonpracong, a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck, and Cod Satrusayang, the managing editor of ANN, to get their insights into Thai politics.

“Can Thaksin make a comeback?” I asked them in separate interviews.

“Absolutely, because essentially the Thai Rak Thai, PPP and Pheu Thai parties – which are the incarnations of Thaksin’s political base – know how to capture the political aspirations of the people,” said Boonpracong.

After more than four years in power, the military junta could not deliver what the people wanted, he said.

Boonpracong said early polls – by various credible pollsters – indicate that Pheu Thai and its allies, such as Thai Raksa Chart and Future Forward (led by auto parts billionaire Thanathorn Juangroong-ruangkit), could win 272 to 300 seats for MPs out of 500.

“It looks like Pheu Thai will still win. Despite the odds stacked against them, despite the military drafting a Constitution that’s supposed to be anti-them, despite the redrawing of the constituencies, they will still win,” said Satru-sayang.

The question now, said the ANN editor, is not whether Pheu Thai will win – “But whether they’ll win by a large enough margin so that the other side can’t call in the clause that can put in place an unelected prime minister who is not an MP,” he said.

The electoral odds are stacked in favour of the military junta, though.

There will be 750 representatives – 500 MP posts (constituency and party lists) from the lower house of Parliament (like our Dewan Rakyat) up for grabs and 250 from the upper house (like our Dewan Negara) comprising junta appointees and military brass. These 750 people will decide who will be prime minister.

In theory, the junta needs parties aligned to it, such as Phalang Pracharat, to have 126 MPs win seats as it has 250 senators (who are not elected, remember). The math is 126 + 250 = 376, which is a simple majority.

Whereas Pheu Thai and its allies have to have 376 MPs win to form the government, as the 250 senators are all junta appointees.

In a nutshell, the junta leaders can still remain in power even without an elected representative majority.

Even if Pheu Thai and its allies win most of the votes, there is no guarantee that it can form the government because the electoral system favours the military junta, said Boonpracong.

“Pheu Thai (and its allies) have to win the lower house seats overwhelmingly,” he said.
When I was working in Bangkok from 2006 to 2010, Thailand was divided into two groups: “I love Thaksin” and “I hate Thaksin”. There was no middle ground. And those who loved Thaksin hated those who hated Thaksin. And those who hated Thaksin had no love for those who loved Thaksin.

Thaksin has been in voluntary exile since 2006, and I was curious to know whether he is still a divisive figure.

Well, after more than four years of junta rule, the divisiveness – based on social media postings – has reduced, Boonpracong said.

“As he has not been in power for 12 years, essentially, they (those who hate him) can’t blame Thailand’s ills on the bogeyman that is Thaksin,” he said.

Satrusayang said Thaksin is really popular in rural areas, especially in the north-east and north. The former prime minister, he said, is still popular among the poor because of his populist policies, such as cheap health care and loans when he was in power.

“They also have a feeling that they voted for this guy and the Bangkok elites keep overthrowing him over and over again – as if they know better. There’s an us (the poor in the north and north-east) against them (elite Bangkokians) mentality,” he said.

Boonpracong said: “Thaksin is just a politician who we should not overpraise. But overall he has he has done a lot of good for the people on the periphery who make up 70% of the bottom rung of Thai society.

“He has moved the earth to make their life better economically,” he said.

Bangkokians, Boonpracong feels, are less angry at Thaksin. “They feel that Thailand’s economic performance the last five years under the junta has been less dynamic than our neighbours’,” he said.

Satrusayang, however, feels that Thaksin is still hated by most Bangkok people. But there’s not as much intensity between the red shirts (pro-Thaksin) and yellow shirts (anti-Thaksin), he said.

“The yellows and reds agree that they hate the military more because it has been in power for too long,” he said.

“The yellows aren’t going to vote for Pheu Thai and reds won’t vote for the Democrats (or junta aligned parties) but the military is the central figure of hate now.”

According to Satrusayang, this is because when the military came into power it promised that it would be gone in a year.

“Now it has been more than four years. They kept on postponing the elections, they keep on lying, they keep on infringing on civil liberties.”

The military junta, except for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, is not popular, said Satrusayang.

“Prayut is decently popular because he is seen as a funny uncle. But Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is hated because of his watch scandal,” he said. (Wongsuwan is said to own a collection of undeclared luxury watches.)

It looks like Thaksin’s alliance will win the popular vote but it won’t be easy for it to form the government.

It needs about 100 senators to switch sides or for the junta (under pressure from a higher power) to blink on polling night.

Source - TheNation

Here we go – Royal decree issued for Thai general election

The final hurdle to holding an election this year was cleared this morning by royal decree that sets in motion the countdown to the long-awaited poll.

The royal decree, ordering a general election of members of Parliament was issued this morning.

The constitutional process calls for the Election Commission to announce a date for the long-awaited election within five days of the decree. The election date must be no less than 45 days and no more than 60 days from the day the decree takes effect.

The law was issued at the command of His Majesty the King and was undersigned by Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

For the past 12 months, the ruling NCPO had hinted an election would be held on February 24 but officials have prevaricated on the date since the start of 2019 after His Majesty the King announced that his coronation would take place between May 4-6.

The Election Commission said earlier this month they could not finalise the date without a royal decree, which had failed to materialise as expected.

Source - TheThaiger